Archive for January, 2014

January 22, 2014

Welcome to our new column, “What We’re Chirping About,” where we tell you about people, places + things that are inspiring us, wowing us + making us laugh at the moment. This is completely subjective + self-professed info, and none of it has been solicited…call it the softer side of PR!

MOVIE

My husband and I watch a lot of movies…like at least 2/week. I am a tough critic and am easily bored, annoyed or generally over it, so when one comes along that is good from top to bottom, I get excited. The Kings of Summer was a little indie film that was sweet, innocent, funny, engaging, and a heartwarming journey back to those awful teenage years. Sort of a less quirky version of a Wes Anderson flick. Highly recommended. Good review here.

EATS

My two favorite eats for a regular ‘ol weekday lunch are worth a shout out. The Jazzy Pita Pizza at Dellz Uptown and the 5 Spice Pork Bahn Mi at Bon Bahn Mi. One is sort of healthy feeling, the other not so much, but both are 100% worth it.

BOOK

I have to admit that Elizabeth Gilbert’s smash hit, Eat, Pray, Love flat out annoyed me. Maybe it was because I listened to it on tape, and it was read by the author, whose voice grated on my nerves and sullied the whole experience for me. Luckily, The Signature of All Things totally reversed my opinion about Gilbert and has to be my favorite book I’ve read in a while. Fascinating characters, beautiful prose and compelling story. Unexpected bonus: The book is pretty enough to display on your nightstand long after you’ve read it!

PLACE

Headed to Asheville this weekend to do some relaxing at The Grand Bohemian, beer-drinking at Wicked Weed and noshing at Curate. Gonna be cold but I really don’t care. All about a break from the kids + some down time with the hubs. 🙂

CAUSE

For the 2013 Lowcountry Field Feast, Chef Josh Keeler of Two Boroughs Larder brought in some heavy hitting friends to help him in the kitchen. The team behind Atlanta’s Staplehouse + The Giving Kitchen (aka Team Hidi)–Ryan + Jen Hidinger, Kara Hidinger (Ryan’s sister) + Ryan Smith–knocked it out of the park in both food + service, and made the event our best yet. Sadly, Ryan Hidinger passed away this month after a fierce battle with Stage 4 Gallbladder cancer. What a tragedy to see such a talented chef + nice guy leave us.

Take a moment to read AJC’s John Kessler’s touching blog tribute to Ryan and consider donating to help make Staplehouse + The Giving Kitchen, whose mission is to provide crisis grants to members of Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated hardship, a reality.